If anyone wants to be my Instragram buddy, my name is: BouncyBrown
I mainly post photos of rock shows and things I see around the city, like street art. I promise I don't post photos of food or pets! Well, sometimes I post dog photos but that's it. :P
About me... I've been feeling down lately. I'm looking for a full-time job but haven't found anything. I haven't even had any interviews. Not having work is actually very depressing and demoralizing. Not to mention it sucks to not have money!
I sometimes see secrets in both the lolita and gyaru
community that say things like, “I like the style but you are such bitches that
I don’t want to be part of your community.” To them I say: “Why do you have to be part of the community?
Why do you need to be part of any
community?” Really, ladies! Do your own thing!
Going Solo
I recently (as of this year) started attending lolita meet ups. Before this year, I was
what they call a "lone lolita"—a concept exemplified in the movie Kamikaze
Girls. I dressed in lolita for
myself because I thought the style was beautiful. I didn’t intentionally shun other lolitas but I didn’t feel
the need to seek out other people who were in the style.
Some people accuse lone lolitas of
having the “special snowflake” syndrome—that is, wanting to be the only Lolita
around. This was not me, I just
didn’t feel the need for friends.
Not sure why. It sounds
cold but I assure you there was no malice involved!
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I guess you could say I was “off the grid.” I didn’t post photos online. I didn’t participate in online
discussions or on online
communities. I was in the fashion for
the fashion, not to show off to strangers on the internet. It was actually fun exploring the style on my own!
Real-Life Friends
It turned out that I had some friends—real life friends—who were into in the style too. My friend Crystal is SUPER into lolita. Like, she has the most extensive wardrobe I can even imagine. My friend Katie is also into Lolita too and I was really surprised that she was into Lolita—she just showed up to a party in Lolita once and I was like “Gah! You’re a Lolita!!” As it turns out, it can actually be fun to hang out dressed up with other lolitas.
This was before I discovered makeup or wigs! O_o My hair was so short!
I didn’t meet either Crystal or Katie online—they are friends first, lolitas second! Obviously, that is not to say that you can’t meet friends through your hobbies. Of course you can and it’s not a bad way to meet people! But if you’re into lolita, it’s possible that there are already people in your life that share that interest with you. Don't be a closeted lolita! Let your friends know you're into this wacky little style! You may already be sharing your interest in fashion with someone you know and like.
Evil Lolitas
Ok, so not all lolitas will be your friend! I have had bad experiences with
lolitas. Not seriously bad. Not bunny-boiling bad. But they did make me very weary of
attending local lolita events. All
right, so there were two times where I was attacked, unprovoked, by local
lolitas: one was online (a virtual attack) the other was in real life (a
physical attack).
The online one was really stupid. On EGL, I posted a question about the Angelic Pretty store
in Paris. Someone local –I’ll call
her “Penny Pincher”—went off and said I better not buy anything there and if I
did, then I was “an idiot” who wanted to “bleed money.” Uh what’s that, Penny? If you don’t approve of spending money on
clothes, why are you in lolita?
And just to defend American lolitas who shop in Paris: yes, the exchange
rate is bad (c’mon, toughen up, dollar!) but items only end up being about
$25-$50 more than they would be in San Francisco. Also, the Paris store has completelydifferent items than they do in the SF store. So it’s not like buying the exact same
item but paying more because it’s in France. Sheesh.
The real life attack was at the Jpop festival (here in
SF). A lolita—I’ll call her
“Rhinoceros”—charged me, damaging my beautiful Baby shoes and hurting my ankle.
I had never met, spoke to, or seen Rhinoceros before this day. I was in line for a lucky pack at
Baby. The line was pretty well
spaced out; there were a couple of feet between each person in line—that’s what
made what happened next so weird.
Without warning, Rhinoceros ran into me at full rhino speed
from behind, stomping on the back of my foot/ankle and knocking the rest of her rhino
body into me. It was like a
one-person mosh pit or hockey fight.
She fully body checked me!
I around looked to see what was happening and she kept running. Was she running toward anything? Free cupcakes? Nope. She slowed down her pace and walked over to a shelf at the
New People gift store and stood there.
WTF Rhinoceros? Why did you
charge me for no reason?
I have seen both Penny and Rhinoceros since those
events. Inside, I was hissing like
a bad cat.
I guess neither of them remember what they did. Rhinoceros even
asked to take my photo!
Despite these bizarre encounters, the local community has
been pretty nice. These two rabid animals are just a small fraction of the Lolita community so I can’t really
complain. If I let these bad
encounters shape the way I feel about the entire community, I’d become very bitter
and probably let it color my whole opinion of Lolita fashion. It’s like when a person has one bad
experience with a someone from a particular ethnic group then decides that they
hate that ethnicity (which sadly happens) then they become a raging
racist.
Being lolita despite the bitches
When people post secrets about how lolitas (or gyaru) are
bitches and therefore they hate the style, they’re basing their opinion on a
few evil people. They are missing
out on a style they like and could really have fun with just because they’re
afraid someone will be mean to them.
Seems pretty ridiculous, doesn’t it? Throwing the proverbial baby out with the proverbial bath
water.
You wouldn’t drop out of college because there were a few
people at your university who you didn’t like (unless they raped you or something). Then why drop out of a style for
it? If you were into soccer and
met a bitchy soccer player, would you quit the sport? No! You might
quit the team that the bitch is on, but not the sport altogether. It should be like that with the fashion
communities! If there is a mean
person there… avoid them!
You could even avoid the online communities altogether. Be an off-the-grid Lolita!
The same goes for gyaru….
My off-the-grid gyaru attempt, long before I started blogging.
The online gyaru community can be very, very, VERY unpleasant, even moreso than the lolita community. However, you don't need friends to wear this style. You certainly don't need approval from anonymous trolls!
Choose five up-and-coming blogs (with fewer than 200 followers) to award the Liebster to.
Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
Post the award on your blog. List the bloggers you are giving the award to with links to their sites. Leave comments on their blogs so they know about the award.
Share five random facts about yourself that people don't know about you.
Sanami's Blog
Cute Thai gyaru who always looks beautiful
Kaho's Lolita World
A blog of a Lolita mama and her daughter living in Singapore. The best/worst post I’ve seen of hers was of the pee/poo/toilet restaurant. Hahaha!
kiss of life
A personal style blog from a fashionista, originally from Japan, living in New York. I randomly found her blog by Googling a picture of some shoes I wanted.
Rock Visions
American Gyaru-o Justin I don’t follow very many gyaru-o blogs but Justin has a great rock style.
Five Facts about me:
I am afraid of the dark.
My favorite food is bubble gum.
I don’t trust hairdressers.
I like roller disco.
I am going to Barcelona next month! XD
Thanks again to the Glass Princess! I think this award is a good idea to expose people to new and different blogs, esp the smaller ones. :)
Me, looking somewhat orange and wearing orange blush from NYX
I tried getting a fake tan! Before trying it, I was worried about the results but I love it so much. It's not much of a tan but I am naturally pretty freaking pale! Tans are so popular nowadays. People get them because tans mask skin imperfections, make you look thinner and supposedly healthier. I will go out on a limb and say I think tans do make you look more (traditionally) gyaru. Having a tan really makes me feel like my look is more gyaru, although I have to work on getting it even!.
Sally has many tanning options!! They also have all the accoutrements, like exfoliating lotions.
A week or so ago, I tried the "Mit Tan" from Sally Beauty Supply. The color I got was specifically labeled for beginners. Its shaped like an oven mit and has the wet texture of a felt pen or an ink pad. It smells sooooo good! It smells like a sexy coconut.
The mit, looking beat-up after two applications!
You obviously need help to get your upper back, preferably from someone you don't mind getting naked (or at least topless) with, like a significant other, slutty friend or doctor. Ha!
The color didn't last that long. Showers really faded the color. Washing my face morning and night made my skin color lighter than the rest of my skin.
Me, looking slightly less orange. The lighting makes a difference!
The only bad part was the discoloration on my hands and feet. I knew to avoid putting it on my knees and elbows but my toes, anklebones, knuckles all got darker than the rest of my skin. Scrubbing them in the shower helped, tho!
the juice!
THIS week, I tried Sublime Bronze by L'Oreal. I read a recommendation on xojane.com which is quickly becoming my favorite site. If you look on YouTube the reviews of this tanner are really mixed. Some people think it smells bad but I disagree--the smell is not strong but it does smell... like salon shampoo or medicine or something.
Sublime Bronze, in its many forms!
The color is actually gorgeous but it came out much more streaky than the mit. I made a point of rubbing it on in circles, but my legs are still patchy and striped in some parts. I won't traumatize you with photos of my nude body but trust me! Some parts of my body look like I have vitiligo!
exposing my arms for once, so you can see the tan
It's kinda funny that I tried this tan at all considering that with the SF weather, I am almost always covered up. Only my face is showing. If I wanted, I could probably fake a tan with foundation.
Speaking of foundation, I bought a darker shade than usual to match my tan. At first, I tried to be artistic and blend my own color but I had trouble keeping the color consistent day-to-day. Then I went without foundation for a few days--madness, considering I am so self-conscious about my uneven skin tone. I finally went to Walgreen's and got some darker foundation. Normally, I am usually the whitest color available in any given brand so it was hard to choose among an array of colors. I went back and forth between a few shades but settled on the L'Oreal True Match (how true is it, really) "Buff Beige" color.
The powder looks much darker than the foundation. They're supposed to be the same color!
I don't know how long I'll keep up this fake tan business. It seems like a lot of work and it's embarassing to have splotchy, calico hands. Besides, like I said, here in cold, windy San Francisco, I almost never expose my skin anyway.
Oh, I just found this video on You Tube by a cute Essex girl and it seems quite helpful. She even has a trick for putting tan lotion on your upper back! Oh, and advice about hands and feet! I want to touch up my tan today so I'll try it!
In an effort not to feed the troll* (and also because I'm busy**) I haven't posted in a while. But I wanted to post about...
Uggs! I used to think Uggs were hideous. I even liked "Uggs are Ugly" on Facebook. That's why it's particularly heinous that I got a pair of these delightful shoes that I used to hate.
awkward pose... i was worried about falling into the ocean!
One thing I ocassionally do which is pretty stupid is go shopping after work, in heels, after I've been standing all day. The result is that I decide my feet hurt so bad that I can't take another step. So I buy shoes! This has resulted in the purchase of some pretty random shoes, including tan kitten heels and red high tops (I hate red). I almost never wear these shoes a second time. I'm extravagant like that.
This time I found myself at a cute Asian shoe/accessory store. They actually have those "Dear J" shoes from Rakuten but not the flowered or heart-heel ones.
I've been going without makeup lately, hence the hearts!
I tried on their fake Uggs by the brand Soda. I'd heard of Soda before so I was fairly confident that they wouldn't fall apart in the rain. I tried both the knee-high and the mid-calf boots. I was surprised to find that the mid-calf ones were actually more flattering on my legs. The taller boots made me look like a kid wearing big sister's rain boots. The only funky thing about the boots is that the soles don't bend, so I have to kinda march like a soldier when I wear them.
So about Uggs...
Recently I went to LA. While I was there, I stopped by Kat Von D's tattoo shop and next-door gallery. I know it makes me a dork but I'm a big fan of the show! It was kinda crazy being in the shop! The shop is gorgeous but it's smaller than I'd imagined. Anyway, at the shop they have clothes and shoes from Kat's label. The shoes are Uggs-style boots with decorations on the ankle.
I think I'll buy these next time I find $300 lying on the ground!
When I bought my Ugg Soda boots, I was thinking I'd decorate them but I don't know. It's a project that will have to wait!
I know some people say Uggs are ugly and out-dated. I didn't like them the first time around (hence the "Uggs are ugly") but I think they're beyond out-dated--they're experiencing a second wave! I've noticed them more often in Japanese magazines and even saw some cute Spanish gyaru on Agepoyo wearing them!
Uggsgot their groove backare back! :)
*I seem to have attracted a troll on LJ. I'm pretty confused by this. It's usually conceited people that get called ugly because that's what hurts them the most. I'm not conceited and I don't consider myself beautiful, so it doesn't hurt to be called ugly, especially not by a troll! But I have to say, I am a little weirded out that someone took the time to attack me online. To the troll, I say...
**I do have more posts planned! Upcoming posts include:
Liebster Blog Award (I got one and want to pass it along!)
fake tan
green juice fast
a long, rambling tirade about demoralizing failure
L.A. trip
Instagram
long hair
Last week I received my order from Rakuten. (I'm not saying which store!) I had considered wearing it to the gal meet but went with my Mars set.
The first thing I got was this one piece. It's what you could call a "hoodie-dress" I guess.
In the pic, it looks like a giant hoodie but I assure you it's a dress! Haha!
I took a gamble with this one because I've had a dress like this (loose on top with a stretchy band at the bottom) that was way too short. It worked out and I'm happy with it! Of course, I plan to wear shorts or something underneath, in case it decides to slip up.
The other item I got was this cardi with a skull on the back.
The skull is actually the same design as the hoodie-dress. I like it. It's not as loose as I'd like it, but I'm not as thin as I'd like, either!
It came with accessories, which I wasn't expecting.
The pins are pretty bad. The British flag pin says "Sierra Leone" on it which is potentially offensive since they've been an independent country for a while. It'd be like a pin that says "India"/"Canada"/"anywhere formerly under British rule" and then has a British flag.
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